NEW ZEALAND VIEWED THROUGH BELGIAN SPECTACLES. M. De Harven Eulogises the Colony

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 218, 3 September 1887, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND VIEWED THROUGH BELGIAN SPECTACLES.

M. De Har ven Eulogises the Colony

We are in receipt of a bulky volume printed at Brussels and giving in French, with voluminous details, the general report upon New Zealand written by M. de Harven, the Belgian Commercial Delegate, who at the end of 1884 made a very extensive tour through this colony. The work deals in an able, comprehensive and impartial manner with the natural resources, climate, population, public debt, and trade of New Zealand. Indeed, it may be said that tins work is the most complete ( handbook of this colony as yet published in any foreign language. Before entering on his subject the author deems it his bounden duty to gracefully acknowledge the courteous treatment he received at the hands of the leading Auckland merchants, and special reference is made to the banquet given in his honour by Mr Murdoch, the General Manager ot the Bank of New Zealand. After a sojourn of a few days in our city, M. de Harven left for Wellington on November the 20th, 1884. In the Empire City he met. by appointment, M. Gu&tave Beskx, His Belgian Majesty's ConsulGe leral foi Australasia, and therealso he wa.s hospitably entertained by His ExcDllcncy thj Governor and the Cabinet Ministcis. On the sth of December following, the two distinguished vibitort? started on their tour through the colony. They woi c accompanied by Mr Inspeotor-Geneial McKeirow and a large staff of Government olficials, whose services the Honourable the Premier (now Sir Robert Stout) had considerately placed at the disposal of the Belgian gentlemen. M. de Harven speaks in the most eulogistic teims of the valuable services rendered him by Inspector-General McKerrow (cc Wi'ant aus^i modc^te qtCobliyeant) and his men. Indeed, he acknowledges his indebtedness to them for the valuable statistics which abound in his book. All the seapoits and inland towns, as well ns our forests, lakes, mines, thermal spiing-;, and the leading agiicultural and industrial concerns were visited in turn dm ing a tour which extended over beveral months. The volume contains o\ er 400 pages of letterpress, besides several maps and many tables. The opening chapters give an interesting account of the aboiiginal race, and afterwards deal at some length with our magnificent forests. It is very pleasing to notice that while a few of our British legislators denounce m n:> measured teims what they arc pleased to call our "inhuman treatment of the natives," this foreign critic expresses his warm approval of the considerate manner in which we deal with the Maoris. The high commercial a alue of our various woods for cabinetmaking, shipbuilding, etc., as v\ell as the suitableness of the bark for dyeing, tanning, and other purposes are described in a lucid manner. Kauri gum and New Zealand flax receive their due meed of praise, whilst many pages are devoted to a description of our gold avnl coal mines, stone quanies, sulphur deposits, mineral oil, iron and copper ores. In dealing with our mineral resources, M. de Harven shows himself thoroughly at home, which is not surprising considering that minerals are so plentiful in his native country. Several chapters are given to our railway?, public works, national debts, savings banks, compaiison being drawn between similar items in the leading Continental States, and, as a rule, the result pioves to be in favour of New Zealand. Since it is now the prevalent custom to allude to our financial condition in the most gloomy manner, it may not beamish to hear the opinion of an impartial and intelligent foreigner on this burning question. M. de Harven frankly admits that our public debt i«? a large one, so much the more so when the paucity of our population is taken into account. But, on the other hand, he points out that the larger amount of the boriowed money has been spent on reproductive works, which in due time will yield a steadily increasing revenue. Comparing now the proportion which the interest and Sinking Fund bear to the revenue with the indebtedness and revenue of other countries, he gives the following figures : New Zealand, 41 per cent., as against 47 per cent, in Italy, 36 per cent, in Russia, 33 per cent, in Great Britain, 32 per cent, in Austria, 21 per cent, in Belgium, and 41 per cent, in France. These fig ures show that the proportion is the same in New Zealand as in France, whilst it is 6 per cent, higher still in Italy. And again it should be borne in mind that the larger amount of the national debt of the two latter countries is owing to war expenses, and furthermore that France devotes the greater part of the remaining 59 per cent, to the maintenance of her everincreasing standing army. When we take into account the further fact that France can still afford to invest millions of money in the Panama Canal scheme, we must needs arrive at the conclusion that the jeremiads of our local croakers are unpatriotic and uncalled for, to put it mildly. As for those who bewail the money spent on our national system of education and advocate sweeping reductions on this head, we would remind them that since the war of 1870-1 the estimates for the Education Department have increased fourfold in France, for Gauls and Teutons alike are convinced that the schoolmaster has greatly assisted in the building up of the mighty German Empire. But revenom a nos moutons. In his reference to this colony as a suitable field of emigration for Continental nations, M de Harven tells French and Italian agriculturists that there is a splendid chance here for vinegrowing, and that the climate and soil of the North Island are well adapted for the cultivation of the mulberry and olive trees, and the rearing of silkworms. Belgian capitalists would be benefited by bringing out miners to develop our mining industry, which is still in its infancy, and by starting manufactures for brickmaking and pottery, for which pursuits they will find a good supply of first-class clay. As in his opinion New Zealand farmers are still far behind French, Belgian, and Dutch husbandmen in the rearing of poultry and the making of butter and cheese, he advises Continental farmers possessed of small capital to try their skill in this country. In dealing with the work, we feel an embarras de. richesses, as it is impossible to do justice or even to allude to all the useful information and valuable hints with which it is stored. We shall, therefore, only refer to the concluding chaptei-s. M. de Harven strongly urges on the Belgian Government the necessity of establishing direct steam communication between Antwerp and the New Zealand ports, so as to enable Belgium to compete with France and Germany. He next advices the appointment of a Belgian Con&ul-General at Auckland, of a consul in each of the three other large towns, viz., Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington, and of a commercial agent at Riißsell, Bay of Islands. Referring to the fact that most of the foreign. Powers are represented hero by unpaid agents, who, as a rule, aro not even conversant with tlio vernacular of the country they represent, and tbei'efore, merely of an ornamental use,

he advices his Government to follow the example set them by the United States of America, and to provide these consular agents with liberal salaries, M. de Harvcn's contention being that the United States and German Consuls have, by their zeal and energy, greatly succeeded in promoting commercial intercourse between their respective countries and this colony, which services cannot be- expected from unpaid officials. , vVe conclude by giving a literal translation of tho final paragraph :— -" Public savings are now invested in State loans, often used to carry, by means of war, devastation and death in the midst of peaceful populations. Lot us invest these savings in productive works. We can no longer ignore the principle of solidarity, and often private interest has no better ally than a public one. The works which we must undertake are of such a nature that they will not clash. They consist in spreading ourselves over the world by tho close union of three indispensable factors : Capital, intellect, labour. I once more repeat it, we cannot find a better field for our operations than New Zealand. '"